Man arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run

CARLSBAD 
A 50-year-old man suspected of drunken driving and who had previously been convicted of DUI was arrested Sunday after police say he hit and injured a young woman and then eluded officers until he crashed.

The 23-year-old victim was walking at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard just after 3 p.m. when she was struck, Carlsbad police said.

Witnesses told officers they saw a blue Chevrolet truck leaving the area and were able to write down its license plate number.

Shortly thereafter, officers spotted the truck near El Camino Real and Tamarack Avenue and pulled it over. The driver stopped but then sped off as officers approached, police said.

He evaded police for a short time until he drove off an embankment on Tamarack Avenue near Pontiac Drive and landed on the recessed driveway of an RV storage facility. He was trapped in the truck and had to be extricated by rescuers, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries and was later arrested.

He faces numerous charges including suspicion of hit and run with injury, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving on a suspended license and on probation for DUI, and driving under the influence with prior DUI convictions.